A stolen puppy found at a Del City apartment complex led investigators to a stash of stolen items, police said.

Bethany and Del City police officers recovered stolen items from one of the apartments after questioning five juveniles about recent burglaries in Bethany.

If the puppy had not been found, police probably wouldn’t have recovered the other stolen property, Bethany Police Chief Neal Troutman said.

The puppy was stolen sometime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday in the 3700 block of Riverside in Bethany, along with jewelry and stereo and computer equipment, Troutman said.

A man found the puppy still wearing its tags about 3 p.m. at the Logan Point Apartments, near Interstate 40 and Scott Street in Del City, and returned it to the owners, Troutman said.

Police in Bethany also took a report about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday from a resident in the 6500 block of NW 32 who said she caught three boys looking into her window. She told them to leave her property. As they did, she got a partial license plate number and a description of the pickup they left in and called police, Troutman said.

The maroon extended cab pickup was found at the Del City apartment complex where the stolen puppy was recovered, Troutman said.

The pickup also had been stolen, he said.

Troutman said the police report will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office.

The newborn black howler monkey at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo seems so small and so quiet right now. But once the pint-sized primate grows up, it’ll be among the loudest animals on the planet.

Second in volume only to the blue whale, the black howler monkey is the loudest animal on earth, emitting yells that can be heard up to two miles away. The Zoo’s newest howler monkey was born on May 28 to mother Springer and father Oz, who had their first offspring together about a year ago.

Their baby, whose sex has yet to be determined, clings to its mother 24 hours a day and likely will do so for a few more months before venturing out alone. It has blondish brown hair matching Springer’s, and will stay that way if it’s a female or turn dark black over time if it’s a male.

Black howler monkeys are endangered in their native Latin American rainforests because of hunting and habitat destruction. Their loud howling is most prevalent early in the morning and late at night, and troops in the wild use it to gauge their distance from other howler monkeys they might be competing with for food or territory.

While only able to squeak so far, the infant howler monkey at the Zoo is doing well and is on display in the Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building daily.

Hours of anxiety over a missing Dachshund ended happily early today after Westport firefighters rescued the animal from an abandoned well where it had been trapped overnight.

The dog’s owner, Pam Nistico, said she had walked 1-year-old Brody late Saturday night and then returned to her home on the grounds of her family’s Red Barn Restaurant, 292 Wilton Road. When she put him down, Brody playfully chased after the family cat.

After a while, Nistico became concerned when she could not find Brody. She and her daughter, Desiree, 19, and a friend searched frantically on nearby streets.

They called Westport police for help and even spotted a state trooper on the nearby Merritt Parkway where he had stopped a speeder and asked if he had seen the dog. The trooper used his flashlight to look into the woods off the parkway. But Brody was nowhere to be found.

She said they even checked the abandoned well but didn’t see or hear anything. “Maybe he was knocked out and he was in a little area that you couldn’t see very well in the darkness,” she said.

Frustrated, they gave up the search at about 2:30 a.m. “I went to bed sobbing,” Nistico said.

Then at about 5:30 a.m., Nistico went outside again. “I thought with daylight I might see something I couldn’t see in the dark,” she said.

“I whistled as I do to attract Brody and the cat. I then heard a weak whimper. I thought maybe I was imagining things–you know, maybe you want to hear something but it’s really not there.”

But it was, and it was coming from the well.

“I whistled again and heard a yelp,” she said.

She called police who summoned the fire department. Firefighters determined that Brody had fallen through the deteriorated plywood covering the 4-foot-deep well and had landed on the bottom, said Assistant Chief Gene Maloney.

After using meters to determine that the atmosphere in the confined space was safe for entry, Firefighter Mike Scalzo donned breathing apparatus and climbed down a ladder placed in the hole.

“He offered the dog cookies, wrapped the dog in a blanket and carried the dog out,” Maloney said.

Brody was uninjured but jittery, rescuers said. At one point, Brody “attempted to bite the hand that fed him,” Maloney said, but Scalzo’s protective gloves prevented serious injury.

Nistico said she was deeply grateful to police and firefighters who helped her find and bring Brody back to her. “They were all wonderful—just great,” she said.

Nistico, who had recently put an 18-year-old Dachshund named Bubba to sleep, said she adopted Brody after spotting him the Internet. He was in Kansas City, Mo. The dog, then 7 months old, had been abused and was looking for a home.

“We flew him in and just fell in love with him,” she said.

It takes just a few simple steps for bird lovers to attract their feathered friends to their yards.

Making some minor adjustments to properties will help attract different varieties of birds, particularly songbirds, according to a press release from Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension. With growing recognition the climate is warming, native plants are the best choice for creating bird-friendly habitats for the future.

According to the press release, native plants are adapted to temperature extremes and are the best bet for future changes, because of their long history with local climates.

The first tip is to provide a water source near protective shrubs during the summer months. On hot days, birds are especially eager to bathe and drink. Bird baths should be only an inch or two deep, with a shallow slope, and a dripping effect will lure more birds. The bath should be mounted on a pedestal if cats prowl the neighborhood, and it should be cleaned once a week with a stiff brush.

“Just have a clean, fresh water drip onto a hollow rock,” said bird enthusiast Betsy Brooks of Alfred.

The second hint is to create a song bird border along the property edge by planting trees and shrubs that meet the needs of birds throughout the year. The best plants to use are those adapted to the weather extremes of the local climate. The border can take the form of a hedge or windbreak, depending on the property size.

Several of each species of plant should be plated next to each other. The tallest plants should be at the edges of the property, and the shorter plants should be located toward the house. One species of thorny tree, such as hawthorn or raspberry, should be provided for nesting. Evergreens, such as spruce, holly or juniper, should be provided for cover. Berry-producing shrubs, such as dogwood, serviceberry or viburnum, should be planted in order to provide fruit throughout the season.

Property owners who want to attract birds should create a brush pile in the corner of their property, consisting of dropped limbs, downed branches and tree trunks. The larger logs should be layered as a foundation, and living brush piles can be created by cutting saplings most of the way through the trunks, then pulling them into a heap. Songbirds will find shelter from extreme weather in these covers throughout the year.

Another tip is to rake leaves under shrubs to create mulch and natural feeding areas for ground-feeding birds, such as sparrows, towhees and thrashers. Earthworms, pill bugs, insects and spiders will thrive in the decomposing leaf mulch, and will readily be eaten by birds.

Brooks said this is important if property owners want to feed birds. She said brush piles also may provide an escape from hawks and other predators.

Property owners should reduce their lawn by at least 25 percent to focus on meadow plants and taller grasses. Tall grasses provide seeds and nesting places for many birds. The meadow should be cut once each year, and should be grown three to four-inches before being cut.

Brooks said having smaller yards means less upkeep, and is much better for birds.

“A yard that is so well manicured isn’t the best thing at all for birds,” she said.

The CCE press release also urges bird lovers to take the “healthy yard pledge” and avoid using lawn pesticides and wasteful sprinklers. It stated, 50 percent of households in the U.S. currently treat their lawns with chemicals that kill around seven million birds per year. The chemicals also may leak into groundwater, wells, streams, lakes and oceans.

Bird lovers should clean out old bird and mouse nests from nest boxes in early spring. If new nest boxes are put out, the property owner should consider the preferred habitat for different species, as well as the size of the entrance hole and the distance above ground. Nesting boxes should face the east in northern latitudes to provide extra warmth. In forests, residents can create a one and one-fourth-inch hole into dead trees four to five-feet off the ground to mimic a woodpecker. The holes can then serve as nests for chickadees and titmice.

Brooks said boxes should be placed in the appropriate places, such as fields and open areas.

In order to ensure cleanliness, property owners should clean bird feeders with a bottle brush and a 10 percent non-chloride bleach solution. The feeders should be rinsed thoroughly and dried in the sun before refilling. Any soggy seed should be raked up from under feeders, because it could grow deadly mold.

“That’s really important,” Brooks said.

She said some birds are sensitive to chloride, and many will refuse to return to a bird feeder that has been cleaned with a chloride solution.

“It’s just a matter of keeping feeders really clean,” she said.

Feeders also should be moved closer to the house to avoid birds flying into windows. If feeders are within three feet of a window, birds are less likely to gather a high momentum when scared, and property owners will be able to see them more closely.

As for what to put in the feeders, Brooks said encouraged use of a variety of seed, especially if more than one bird feeder is available. She said separate feeders will encourage smaller birds to eat, and larger birds won’t eat all the food. She said some ground-feeding birds will eat the seed spilled on the ground under feeders. She said cut oranges can be put out, and will often attract orioles and other colorful birds.

Brooks said hummingbird feeders should be filled with one-part sugar and four-parts water. She said these feeders should be changed once a week, especially when the weather is warm. She said clean, boiled and cooled water should be used, and no red color needs to be used to attract the birds.

Bird lovers should be patient, Brooks said, if they are having problems attracting birds to their yards and feeders. She said if hawks are in the area and scaring away other birds, bird feeders can be taken down for a week or two, until the hawks leave the area.

She said inviting birds to one’s yard is a great way to see and study birds that aren’t easily seen otherwise.

“It’s great entertainment,” she said.

Those interested in learning more about birds may attend meetings of the Allegany County Bird Club. The meetings are usually held at 7 p.m. the first Friday of the month from September through June at the Allegany County office building in Belmont.

“Anybody is welcome to come,” Brooks said.

A CAT is being hailed a hero after finding his badly injured brother and dragging him home to safety.

And his owner says a human who did the same thing would have been given a medal.

Hamish, a one-year-old black short-hair cat, is believed to have been on his way home to Bond Avenue, West Moors, after visiting St Mary’s First School where he gets a fuss made of him, when he was struck by a vehicle.

He ran away injured from the scene, and a neighbour contacted his owners, the Flett family, to let them know what had happened.

Sarah Flett and two of her three children - Lucy, nine, and Max, six - went out in the pouring rain to search for him, and husband Tony joined the search when he came home from work.

When they asked their vet if anyone had handed in their pet, receptionist Gill Sharp of St Mary’s Veterinary Clinic in Ferndown also went out to search with her Jack Russell, but to no avail.
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Despite 12 hours of looking they could not find him anywhere and they had to abandon the search.

Just as the family had all but given up hope of finding him alive, Hamish’s brother Guinness went out the next morning and to their joy and astonishment, dragged the injured Hamish home just an hour later.

Hamish was rushed to the vet and underwent an operation and was expected home yesterday.

Tony Flett, 30, a marine, said: “The cat not only found his brother but dragged him home so that we could help him as the injured cat had a broken pelvis and back.”I’m a marine and if you did that you would get a medal,” he added, “This is a really heart-warming story and one of courage by two cats.”

Housewife Sarah, 27, said: Hopefully he is going to be okay.”

Meet Miss Kit Cat, a tough little feline with a lot of heart. When the Angora Fire ripped through South Lake Tahoe in California, residents ran for cover but Kit Cat had other plans.

“I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the big plume of smoke and got really concerned at that point,” said Steve Yingling.

Steve and his family rushed to get out their home to save their dog and cat, reports CBS station KOVR-TV in Sacramento.

“I said get in the car, and as I grabbed a few things and as I opened the door, she took off and she just ran like a bullet,” said Jean Yingling.

Spooked by all the sirens and confusion, Kit Cat disappeared into a neighborhood going up in flames.

“I mean, when a cat takes off, what are going to do?” said Jean.

A few days later, the Yinglings wondered what happened to their home. They discovered it was nothing but a charred foundation.

And Kit Cat? They hoped for the best but, but it didn’t look good. When the family returned home, they were devastated: 16 years of family memories were burned away. Their last hope was finding Kit Cat.

From the bottom of a fireplace, Kit Cat appeared.

“Her little head stuck out and back in, and I said, oh kitty cat, and I ran to the car and got some food,” said Jean.

Kit Cat hid in a burned out chimney. Her paws were scorched and she was famished, but she survived.

“I don’t think I’d ever believe that she died. She such a smart, smart cat. I’ve never met a smarter cat in my life,” said Jean.

A fairy pitta, a rare bird in the avian world, was spotted in Geoje, Gyeongnam Province, singing its distinctive mating call.

The migratory bird, which comes to Korea in the summer, was designated as Korea’s 204th natural treasure, but has not been seen in the country since. A dead fairy pitta was found in 2002, and the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office confirmed the bird’s existence in the country by the sound of its call.

A puppy found hobbling in the Kuwaiti desert has ended up at Colorado State University, where she might be a candidate for an experimental prosthesis that could one day help humans.

Sally, a Saluki, was spotted in the desert several months ago by a volunteer with animal welfare group PAWS and taken to a shelter in Kuwait City. It’s unclear how the dog was injured.

Part of the dog’s left hind leg had been severed and a veterinarian in Kuwait wanted to amputate the remaining leg. PAWS volunteer Steve Holden e-mailed his alma mater, CSU, and its veterinary hospital to ask whether that was sound advice.

CSU animal surgeon Erick Egger responded that it was, but that Sally, who he estimated was about a year old, might make a good candidate for new research on grafting prosthetics to bone, which would prevent her from losing more of her leg.

PAWS then flew Sally with Holden to Fort Collins, arriving Tuesday.

While humans can be fitted with a prosthetic limb to be strapped on, dogs don’t take to them well. Egger wants to try an “ingrowth” prosthesis.

One concept involves inserting a metallic implant at the bone, attaching an artificial limb to the implant, and then allowing bone to grow around it.

“The real critical part that will make it work or not is whether we can get soft tissues like skin and muscle to grow into the metal that extends into the body,” he said.

Veterinarian Robert Taylor in Denver has been working on the concept, which perhaps one day could be transferred to humans, Egger said.

It could be a month or two before Sally gets her new leg, he said. He is looking at ways to raise funds to pay for materials, which he estimates could cost about $5,000.

Like a cat on the prowl, the ‘hunter’ was stalking toward a drying water hole. The ground was littered with fallen twigs and leaves and he had to step carefully. Bending to avoid a thorny branch, he momentarily lost concentration and ‘thud..’.. a mistaken step on a stick alerted his prey. With a loud flutter, his subject, a group of Green Imperial Pigeons drinking water, flew away. “Missed a great shot,” he lamented.

This is the frustration that wildlife photographers have to face when trying to ‘shoot’ birds for photographing birds is not as easy as photographing people. In Sri Lanka, bird watching has become a popular pastime. But what about photographing them? Is it only for the experts armed with high-end expensive camera equipment?

Learn to stalk

The most critical issue when photographing a bird is getting close, especially, if you do not have the support of high-end zooming lenses. Approach them slowly, and stop frequently. Birds are vigilant and ready to fly off at the first inkling of danger. Look for natural formations that break your silhouette like trees, rocks etc. Wear clothes that blend with the environment. Avoid jerky motions or making noises. A frequent mistake made is to shout and point towards the bird the moment you see one. You also need to read the bird’s movements and act accordingly. Before taking wing, birds usually show distress signs. Learn to identify such behaviour.

With experience you will learn to anticipate the signs, giving you those extra seconds to get ready. If a lone bird spreads its wings as you are getting close to a group of waders in a mudflat, you should stop immediately. The bird has sensed a danger, and it is a sign that it is getting ready to take wing and also a signal for others to follow suit. The whole flock may flash into the sky. But if you remain still for several minutes, some bird species will resume their normal activity. Be patient and wait. Remember, patience is essential in taking a good photograph.

Another way to get close is to use your vehicle as a hide. Birds are used to vehicles and will tolerate a vehicle. It also removes the human profile from their site.

Learn about your celebrities

It is necessary that the photographer be able to identify the birds, so as to learn and enjoy the experience more. The greatest wealth for a bird photographer in Sri Lanka is the high avian diversity – Sri Lanka has over 400 bird species, 25 endemic and over 200 migrant. The ability to identify them, know their breeding season, feeding behaviour and interpret their other characteristics is an added advantage in the field.

If you can distinguish their behaviour, like preening, foraging, hunting, courtship displays then you can manoeuvre your camera to get a better angle. Some flycatcher species for example return to the same perch. If you stay motionless for few minutes, you may get a second chance.

A good bird field guide book is a mandatory tool that every bird photographer should possess. It helps you to identify the birds and interpret their behaviour. Another good way to learn about birds is to become a member of a bird society.

While some societies require some expertise in birding as pre-requisites, organizations like the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) which is based in the University of Colombo is open for anyone who is interested on birds (see box for contact details). The Young Zoologists’ Association based at the National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwela also conducts weekly study groups. Those under 35 years of age can learn about birds by getting membership.

Where to shoot the birds

“Where should I take pictures of different kinds of birds? Is it necessary to visit places like Sinharaja, Udawalawe, Bundala” you may ask. But your garden may be the best playground for an amateur bird photographer. If you have a food table or a bird bath, it will provide great opportunities. Magpie Robins, Babblers, Asian Koels, Flowerpeckers, and Woodpeckers, Parrots all have their own tale to unravel. Photographing common birds is a good starting point. It is not only the rarity of a bird that makes an exciting bird photograph. But if you are aiming at photographing special groups of birds, you need to go into their habitats. It may be difficult for an amateur to spot birds initially, so it is always advisable to accompany a bird guide or a friend who knows about birds.

Another way to improve your chances of seeing more birds is to become familiar with their calls. Then one can ‘hear’ a bird before actually seeing them. Working with experts will also improve your birding knowledge in general and in particular your ability to identify species.

Ethics and wellbeing of the birds

Remember the welfare of the birds should always come first. A wildlife photographer should be ready to sacrifice his best shot for the wellbeing of the bird. If a bird is showing signs of stress, remove yourself as quickly as possible. Photographing of nests is always a subject for debate. The nests are usually built in a concealed place. During the attempt to take a good shot, the photographer may reveal the nest to the predators. Also some nests are built on unstable platforms and may easily be broken.

Some technical hints

Photographing birds also requires speed. A photographer will get only a fraction of a second to react in the field. You need to know the capabilities of the camera to react fast and not miss the best shot. Fast shutter speeds are always advisable. After some time you should buy the longest focal length lens you can afford. This will allow you to get closer without actually disturbing the birds.

Try taking challenging photographs

“If someone is at the right place at the right time with the advanced modern cameras, he will be able to photograph birds. But bird photography is something more than that. You should always try taking pictures that are challenging. Photographing a bird in flight or taking special behaviours which are uncommon need a lot of effort. You may fail nine times out of ten. But the satisfaction after taking a good challenging photograph is enormous,” commented expert bird photographer, Dr. T.S.U.de Zylva.

Recalling memories of how he photographed the rare endemic Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush at Sinharaja, Dr. de Zylva said, “I was tipped off by a villager about an open patch of wet-zone jungle that these elusive Thrushes used to cross regularly. I built a hide and positioned two flashes to cover a short sapling where I expected the birds to briefly perch before they moved on to the other forest patch. Finally, my patience was fruitful. Two birds perched on those branches at the same time, giving me the opportunity for a very unusual shot. However, I had to patiently wait for three days before I succeeded.”

Bird photography is an art and a fascinating hobby of its own. Passion and patience are the main qualifications needed. Remember if you have these qualities, you could grab opportunities to take good bird photographs even using a basic camera.

She was baffled by the strange noise coming from the hood of her car. Was it time for a tune-up? Was it serious? Was it - no really, could it be . . . a car bomb?

Nope, it was just her cat, Mr. Pink.

A flexible South Philly feline maneuvered its way into a car’s engine compartment Thursday and succeeded in scaring the devil out of its owner.

“It freaked me out. In this day and age it could’ve been anything,” said the woman, who, embarrassed, would give her name only as “Lynn.”

It’s a kitty tale that gets told with some frequency. But 14-year-old Mr. Pink took a serious jaunt: from down in South Philly to the Mann Music Center in Fairmount Park.

And then there were the bizarre sounds coming from the car, which had Mr. Pink’s owner thinking that maybe someone had planted something in her car.

After parking her car at the Mann, the South Philly resident wasted no time getting out of it.

When she glanced back, after sprinting several feet, she saw Mr. Pink wriggle his way out from under the front of her car and saunter off.

The woman admitted her cat had been missing since that morning, but she hadn’t been too concerned.

“He’s been known to wander off,” she said.

As to the sounds, “it didn’t cross my mind that it was Mr. Pink,” she said.

The cat wasn’t seriously hurt while huddled under the hood, but he scraped all four paws and scratched his left front leg, she said.

The owner described Mr. Pink as slightly traumatized, but calm. Since the ordeal, he’s had feline visitors come by to see him, she said.

Still feeling “dopey” from the pain medication he was prescribed, Mr. Pink has just been lounging around, Lynn said.

She doesn’t think her pet will be wandering around for some time.

“That was an adventure he hadn’t planned on,” she said. *